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For other uses, see Overture (disambiguation).

Overture (French ouverture, meaning opening) in music is the instrumental introduction to a dramatic, choral or, occasionally, instrumental composition. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance. For the musical composition see Chorale. A choir, chorale, or chorus is a Musical ensemble of Singers Musical composition is an original piece of Music the structure of a musical piece the process of creating a new

Frequently an opening to a larger dramatic work such as an opera, earlier usage of the word also referred to collections of movements, known as suites. Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto In Music, a suite is an ordered set of Instrumental or Orchestral pieces normally performed in a Concert Later works, such as Beethoven's overture Leonora No 3 mark a transition between the concept of overture as introduction to a dramatic entertainment, and musical forms such as the symphonic poem, which are free-standing works in their own right. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. See also Entertainment (disambiguation and The Entertainer (disambiguation Entertainment is an activity designed to give people A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of Orchestral Music in one movement in which some extramusical program provides a narrative or illustrative element

Contents

History

17th century

The notion of an overture was formulated during the 17th century. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar The toccata at the beginning of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo (1607) is a flourish of every procurable instrument and, insofar as this constitutes an instrumental movement prefixed to an opera, it may be called an overture. Toccata (from Italian toccare, "to touch" is a Virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or Plucked string instrument L'Orfeo ( L'Orfeo favola in musica, SV 318 or La Favola d'Orfeo, or The Legend of Orpheus) is one of the earliest Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Such short introductions are often titled "symphonia" as in J. S. Bach's cantatas. A cantata (derived from the Italian word 'cantare' meaning 'to sing' is a vocal composition with an instrumental Accompaniment and often

The French ouverture

As a musical form, however, the so-called "French ouverture" begins with the ballet overtures of J-B Lully (Waterman and Anthony 2001), which he elaborated from a similar, two-section form called ‘ouverture’, found in the French ballets de cour as early as 1640 (Temperley 2001). The term musical form refers to two related concepts the type of composition (for example a musical work can have the form of a Symphony, a Jean-Baptiste de Lully ( Giovanni Battista di Lulli) (ʒɑ̃batist də lyˈli in French (November 28 1632 &ndash March 22 1687 was a French Composer of Italian Ballets de cour ( Court ballet) is the name given to Ballets performed in the 16th and 17th centuries at court He devised a scheme which, although he himself did not always adhere to it, constitutes the typical French ouverture ("opening") up to the time of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel (whose works have made it classical). WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise" This French ouverture consists of a slow introduction in a marked "dotted rhythm" (i. e. exaggerated iambic, if the first chord is disregarded), followed by a lively movement in fugato style. An iamb or iambus is a Metrical foot used in various types of Poetry. In Music, a fugue (ˈfjuːg is a type of contrapuntal composition or technique of composition for a fixed number of parts, normally referred The slow introduction was always repeated, and sometimes the quick movement concluded by returning to the slow tempo, usually with new motivic material but occasionally recapitulating the opening, and this combined fast-slow material was sometimes also repeated (see Bach's Ouvertüre nach französischer Art, BWV 831, in the Klavierübung). 2266-Tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl or TEMPO is the Chemical compound with the formula (CH23(CMe22NO The operatic French ouverture was frequently followed by a series of dance tunes before the curtain rose. It thus became used as the prelude to a suite; and the Klavierübung's French Overture by Johann Sebastian Bach is a case in point, the ouverture proper being the introduction to a suite of seven dances. In Music, a suite is an ordered set of Instrumental or Orchestral pieces normally performed in a Concert WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise" Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic For the same reason Bach's four orchestral suites are called "ouvertures"; and, again, the prelude to the fourth partita in the Klavierübung is an overture.

Bach used the French ouverture form for choruses, and even for the treatment of chorales. A refrain (from Vulgar Latin refringere, "to repeat" and later from Old French refraindre) is the Line or lines that are A chorale was originally a Hymn of the Lutheran church sung by the entire congregation Thus the ouverture, properly so-called, of his fourth orchestral suite became the first chorus of the church cantata "Unser Mund so voll Lachens"; the choruses of the cantatas "Preise Jerusalem den Herrn" and "Höchst erwünschtes Freudenfest" are in ouverture form; and, in the first of the two cantatas entitled "Nun komm der Heiden Heiland", Bach has ingeniously adapted the ouverture form to the treatment of a chorale. A cantata (derived from the Italian word 'cantare' meaning 'to sing' is a vocal composition with an instrumental Accompaniment and often

The Italian overture

In Italy, a distinct form called "overture" arose in the 1680s, and became established particularly through the operas of Alessandro Scarlatti, and spread throughout Europe, supplanting the French form as the standard operatic overture by the mid-18th century (Fisher 2001). Alessandro Scarlatti (May 2 1660 &ndash October 24 1725 was an Italian Baroque Composer especially famous for his Operas and chamber Cantatas Its usual form is in three generally homophonic movements: fast–slow–fast. In Music, homophony (hoʊˈmɒfəni from Greek "homófonos" where ομοιο = the same and φωνή = a sound tone is a texture in which two or more A movement is a self-contained part of a Musical composition or Musical form. The opening movement was normally in duple metre and in a major key; the slow movement in earlier examples was usually quite short, and could be in a contrasting key; the concluding movement was dance-like, most often with rhythms of the gigue or minuet, and returned to the key of the opening section. The gigue ( {{IPA|/ʒig/}}) or giga is a lively Baroque dance originating from the British Jig. A minuet, sometimes spelled menuet, is a Social dance of French origin for two persons usually in 3/4 time. As the form evolved, the first movement often incorporated fanfare-like elements and took on the pattern of so-called "sonatina form" (sonata form without a development section), and the slow section became more extended and lyrical (Fisher 2001). Sonata form is a Musical form that has been used widely since the early Classical period. Italian overtures were often detached from their operas and played as independent concert pieces. In this context, they became important in the early history of the symphony (Larue 2001). A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra.

18th century and Sonata style

With the increasing popularity of the Italian opera and the sonata style, the French overture fell out of fashion. Usage of sonata The Baroque applied the term sonata to a variety of works though most works in the Baroque Period were fugues and toccatas Gluck (whose remarks on the function of overtures in the preface to Alceste are historic) based himself on Italian models, of loose texture, which admit of a sweeping and massively contrasted technique. By the time of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's later works the overture in the sonata style had clearly differentiated itself from strictly symphonic music. It consists of a quick movement (with or without a slow introduction), in sonata form, loose in texture, without repeats, frequently without a development section, but sometimes substituting for it a melodious episode in slow time. Sonata form is a Musical form that has been used widely since the early Classical period. Instances of this substitution are Mozart's symphony in G, which is an overture to an unknown opera, and his overtures to Die Entführung and to Lo Sposo deluso, in both of which cases the curtain rises at a point which throws a remarkable dramatic light upon the peculiar form. A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra. The overture to Figaro was at first intended to have a similar slow middle section, which, however, Mozart struck out as soon as he had begun it. Mozart's last overture, The Magic Flute (1791), seemed to point toward the 19th century Rossinian model, with its grand opening and slow, heavy introduction leading to a lighthearted main theme. The Magic Flute (German Die Zauberflöte, K 620 is an Opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart In Beethoven's hands the overture style and form increased its distinction from that of the symphony, but it no longer remained inferior to it; and the final version of the overture to Leonora (that known as No. Fidelio (Op 72 is an Opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. 3) is the most gigantic single orchestral movement ever based on the sonata style.

19th century

Although Rossini retired from writing overtures after William Tell in 1829, 19th century overtures largely owe their focus to forms he had developed and perfected long before, primarily for Italian opera buffa. William Tell (;) The term Opera buffa (plural Opere buffe) was at first used as an informal description of Italian Comic operas variously classified by their authors as Rossini’s first professional operatic overture, La Cambiale di Matrimonio (1810) bypassed strict sonata form, employing a grand opening, a slow introduction, first main theme, an extended bridge to a second main theme, crescendo, then a closing section. La cambiale di matrimonio ( The Bill of Marriage or The Marriage Contract) is a one-act Operatic farsa comica by Gioachino Rossini to Attempts at this style can be clearly heard in overtures of Adolphe Adam, Carl Maria von Weber, Giuseppe Verdi, Hector Berlioz and others, though none having achieved Rossini’s reputation as craftsmen of overtures, as the simple, transparent style requires a preponderance of inspired melodic ideas for lasting effect. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Adolphe Charles Adam ( July 24, 1803 &ndash May 3, Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber ( 18 December 1786 in Eutin, Holstein, Germany - 5 June 1826 in London However, William Tell may have more successfully served as the model for the 19th century romantic overture, with its revolutionary four part form, achieving the grand affect of a mini symphony, expanding the boundaries for 19th century opera as a whole. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the The William Tell Overture signaled the close of the classical period for the operatic stage at its premier, paving the way for Meyerbeer and Wagner, its influence being heard as far forward as Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld. The Overture to the opera William Tell, especially its high-energy finale is a very familiar work composed by Gioachino Rossini. Giacomo Meyerbeer ( September 5, 1791 &ndash May 2, 1864) was a noted German -born Opera Composer, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the Festival Overture "The Year 1812" in E major, Op Orphée aux enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld, Opéra bouffe (or Opéra féerie in its revised version is an Operetta by Jacques

Modern opera

In modern opera the overture, Vorspiel, Einleitung, Introduction, or whatever else it may be called, is generally nothing more definite than that portion of the music which takes place before the curtain rises. Tannhäuser is the last case of high importance in which the overture (as originally written) is a really complete instrumental piece prefixed to an opera in tragic and continuous dramatic style. In lighter opera, where sectional forms are still possible, a separable overture is not out of place, though even Carmen is remarkable in the dramatic way in which its overture foreshadows the tragic end and leads directly to the rise of the curtain. Carmen is a French Opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The Libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based Richard Wagner's Vorspiel to Lohengrin is a short self-contained movement founded on the music of the Grail. Lohengrin is a romantic Opera (or music drama in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner. It does not represent a further departure from the formal classical overture than that shown fifty years earlier by Méhul's interesting overtures to Ariodant and Uthal, in the latter of which a voice is several times heard on the stage before the rise of the curtain. Etienne Henri (or Nicolas) Méhul ( June 22, 1763 - October 18, 1817) was a French Composer, "the

The Vorspiel to Die Meistersinger, though needing only an additional tonic chord to bring it to an end, in its proper position leads to the rise of the curtain. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) is an Opera in three acts written and composed by Richard Wagner The Vorspiel to Tristan was finished for concert use by Wagner himself, and the considerable length of the added page shows how little calculated for independent existence the original Vorspiel was. Lastly, the Parsifal Vorspiel is a composition finished for concert use by Wagner in a few extra bars. The orchestral preludes to the four dramas of the Ring are mere preparations for the rise of the curtain; and these works can no more be said to have overtures than Verdi's Falstaff and Strauss's Salome, in which the curtain rises at the first note of the music. Falstaff is an Operatic commedia lirica in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, adapted by Arrigo Boito from Shakespeare 's plays Richard Georg Strauss (11 June 1864 &ndash 8 September 1949 was a German Composer of the late Romantic era and early modern era particularly noted Salome is an Opera in one act by Richard Strauss to a German Libretto by the composer based on Hedwig Lachmann ’s German

Operettas and musicals

Many nineteenth century operettas and light operas substituted for the specially composed overture in strict "overture form", as detailed above, a potpourri of airs based on the tunes of the songs that were to follow. Operetta is a genre of light Opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter Comic opera, or light opera, denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature usually with a happy ending This article is about music For the music group see Pot-Pourri (group. Sullivan, for instance, seldom actually wrote out his own overtures - since they followed the potpourri format expected from an English "comic opera" of the time, any competent orchestrator could be trusted with this task. Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO (13 May 1842 &ndash 22 November 1900 was an English composer of Irish and Italian descent best known for his operatic Orchestration is the study or practice of writing Music for Orchestra (or more loosely for any Musical ensemble) or of adapting for orchestra music composed

Twentieth century and contemporary overtures accompanying Broadway (and other) Musicals almost always follow this pattern, consisting of segments from the more popular songs in the musical - although some musicals dispense with a formal overture altogether. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. The overture usually is played before the musical starts. However, in the recent revival of Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate, the overture appears after the opening chorus of "Another Op'ning, another show", with the chorus remaining on stage. Cole Albert Porter (June 9 1891 &ndash October 15 1964 was an American Composer and songwriter from Peru, Indiana. Kiss Me Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. (In the original 1948 production, and all other productions of the show up to 1999, the overture to the show appeared in its usual place - before the first song. )

The overture and the symphonic poem

Another form of overture is the so-called concert overture, intended as an individual concert piece. Early in the Romantic era, Carl Maria von Weber wrote two concert overtures, Der Beherrscher der Geister ('The Ruler of the Spirits') and Jubel-Ouvertüre (Jubilee-Overture, incorporating God Save the King at the climactic close), and Felix Mendelssohn wrote his Fingal's Cave (alternatively known as the Hebrides Overture) and the Meerestille und Glückliche Fahrt (Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage) Overture. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber ( 18 December 1786 in Eutin, Holstein, Germany - 5 June 1826 in London Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and generally known as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3 1809 &ndash November 4 1847 was a German Composer Hector Berlioz's Roman Carnival Overture might be taken for such an independent work but (like the Leonore overtures) originated as music for an opera, Benvenuto Cellini. The French composer Hector Berlioz wrote a number of Overtures many of which have become popular concert items Fidelio (Op 72 is an Opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. Benvenuto Cellini is an Opera in two acts with music by Hector Berlioz and Libretto by Léon de Wailly and Auguste Barbier

In the 1850s the concert overture began to be supplanted by the symphonic poem, a form devised by Franz Liszt in several works that began as dramatic overtures. A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of Orchestral Music in one movement in which some extramusical program provides a narrative or illustrative element The distinction between the two genres was the freedom to mould the musical form according to external programmatic requirements (Temperley 2001). Programme music is a form of Art music intended to evoke extra-musical ideas images in the mind of the listener by musically representing a scene image or mood The symphonic poem became the preferred form for the more "progressive" composers, such as César Franck, Richard Strauss, Alexander Scriabin, and Arnold Schoenberg, while more conservative composers like Anton Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky, Johannes Brahms, and Arthur Sullivan remained faithful to the overture (Temperley 2001). César Franck (December 10 1822 – November 8 1890 a Composer, Organist and music teacher of Belgian and German origin who lived in France Richard Georg Strauss (11 June 1864 &ndash 8 September 1949 was a German Composer of the late Romantic era and early modern era particularly noted Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Скря́бин Aleksandr Nikolaevič Skrjabin; sometimes transliterated as Skriabin Arnold Schoenberg ( pronounced ˈʃøːnbɛrk (13 September 1874 &ndash 13 July 1951 was an Austrian and later American Composer, associated with This article is about the 19th century Russian pianist and composer Johannes Brahms ( pronounced ˈbʁaːms (May 7 1833 &ndash April 3 1897 was a German Composer Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO (13 May 1842 &ndash 22 November 1900 was an English composer of Irish and Italian descent best known for his operatic

In the age when the symphonic poem had already become popular, Brahms wrote his Academic Festival Overture, op. Johannes Brahms 's Academic Festival Overture ( Akademische Festouvertüre) Op 80, as well as his Tragic Overture, op. The Tragic Overture (German Tragische Ouverture) op 81 is a Concert overture for Orchestra written by Johannes Brahms 81; with the latter piece having a wide range of emotions encapsulated, can also be taken for a symphonic poem but are not titled as such by the composer. Another example is Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the Festival Overture "The Year 1812" in E major, Op His equally well-known Romeo and Juliet is also labelled as a 'fantasy-overture'. Romeo and Juliet is a musical work by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, subtitled Overture-Fantasy.

Composers like Robert Schumann also wrote overtures based on literature written by Friedrich Schiller, Shakespeare and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe such as the Overtures to Die Braut von Messina, Julius Caesar and Hermann und Dorothea. Robert Schumann, sometimes given as Robert Alexander Schumann (June 8 1810 &ndash July 29 1856 was a German Composer, Aesthete and influential Music critic Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller krɪstɔf friːtʁɪç fɔn ʃɪləʁ/ʃɪlɐ (10 November 1759 9 May 1805 was a German Poet, Philosopher William Shakespeare ( baptised ˈjoːhan ˈvɔlfgaŋ fɔn ˈgøːtə (in English generally ˈgɝːtə 28 August 1749 22 March 1832 was a German writer The Bride of Messina (Die Braut von Messina is a Tragedy by Friedrich Schiller; it premiered on March 19, 1803 in Weimar Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599 Hermann and Dorothea is an 1798 Epic poem by German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Although these overtures derive their musical inspiration from literary works, Schumann neither composed music for the entire work as he would for an opera nor necessarily intended a spoken performance to immediately follow. Both Schumann and Tchaikovsky would, in fact, incorporate bits of the French national anthem, La Marseillaise into their overtures Hermann und Dorothea and Overture 1812 respectively which indicate the independent nature of this type of overture. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's " La Marseillaise " (la maʁsɛˡjɛz in English The Song of Marseille) is the National anthem of France.

Film

In motion pictures, an overture is a piece of music setting the mood for the film before the credits start. It does not underscore the credits or part of the plot but is seen as introductory music "in its own right". It is typically accompanied by a blank screen (played with the lights already dimmed and/or with closed curtains) or a still picture and can be several minutes long.

Notable examples are: Gone with the Wind (1939), Since You Went Away (1944) (again, a David O. Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American dramatic - romantic - War film adapted from Margaret Mitchell 's 1936 Since You Went Away is a 1944 Film distributed by United Artists. Selznick Production), Lawrence of Arabia, Oliver! (1968), King Kong, West Side Story, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and A Clockwork Orange. Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 Epic film based on the life of T Oliver! is a 1968 Musical film directed by Carol Reed. The film is based on the Stage musical Oliver!, with King Kong is a landmark Black-and-white Adventure film about a gigantic Gorilla named " Kong " and how he is captured from West Side Story is a 1961 film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. 2001 A Space Odyssey is a 1968 Science fiction film directed by Stanley Kubrick, written by Kubrick and Arthur C A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 Satirical Science fiction Film adaptation of a 1962 novel of the same name, by Anthony 1979 was the last time a major American studio made use of an overture (with the films Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Black Hole, although the film Dancer in the Dark included an overture in the year 2000. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Star Trek The Motion Picture is a 1979 Science fiction film from Paramount Pictures. For the 2006 film see Black Hole (2006 film The Black Hole is a 1979 Science fiction movie directed by Dancer in the Dark is an award-winning Musical film Drama released in 2000. Many of these (epic) films also featured entr'actes and exit musics, which, together with the overtures, have often been cut from TV and video releases and can only be found on recent "restored" DVDs. The Epic is a genre of film which places emphasis on human drama on a grand scale Some of these "incidental musics" were made for roadshow presentation and were cut afterwards for the wide release. Wide release is a term in the American Motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing nationally (as opposed to a few cinemas in cities such as

The anime series Space Battleship Yamato (1974) had the distinction of a vocal overture instead of instrumental. (anime in Japanese, is a Japanese Science fiction Anime series and the name of its eponymous space craft.

For a more comprehensive list, see List of Films with Overtures. A chronological list of films which include a musical Overture at the beginning against a blank screen or still pictures

Overtures in popular music

Apart from the forementioned albums, many other concept albums in popular music feature overture-like instrumental opening pieces, although they might not be titled as such. In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical" Examples are:

References

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. Savatage was a progressive Heavy metal band founded by the brothers Jon and Criss Oliva in 1978 at Astro Skate in Tarpon Springs Florida The Wake of Magellan is a Concept album by Savatage and is based on two real life events The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

Dictionary

overture

-noun

  1. An approach made to initiate communication.
  2. (music) a musical introduction to a piece of music which may or may not be an integral part of that piece of music
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